Quality of Life After Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision Compared to Traditional Total Mesorectal Excision

July 9, 2025 updated by: Yanic Ammann, Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen

Does Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision (taTME) Result in Better Quality of Life and Functional Outcomes Than Traditional Total Mesorectal Excision? A Retrospective Propensity Score-adjusted Cohort Study

The improvement in prognosis of rectal cancer through modern therapy modalities rises questions regarding quality of life (QoL) and functional outcomes. Evidence for long-term QoL and functional outcomes of transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) is not provided in current literature. This study will compare short-term and long-term QoL and functional outcomes after taTME compared to traditional abdominal TME (laparoscopic, robotic, and open approach)

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Quality of life and functional outcomes of patients undergoing taTME or abTME for stage I-III rectal cancer will be analysed. A retrospective propensity score-adjusted analysis of prospectively conducted data will be performed. The primary endpoint QoL will be assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer core questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). Secondary endpoints are the functional outcomes according to the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
249

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Switzerland
      • Saint-Gall, Switzerland, 9000
        • Cantonal Hospital of St.Gallen

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients receiving elective total mesorectal excision followed by reconstruction with anastomosis for primary rectal cancer at the Cantonal hospital of St.Gallen, Switzerland.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • elective total mesorectal excision followed by reconstruction with anastomosis for primary rectal cancer

Exclusion Criteria:

  • diagnoses other than rectal cancer
  • recurrent rectal cancer
  • partial mesorectal excision
  • discontinuity resection (no anastomosis)
  • incomplete TNM staging information
  • metastatic cancer
  • 30-day mortality
  • lack of quality of life data
  • patient decline
  • age under 18 years

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
taTME
Patients who underwent transanal total mesorectal excision with anastomosis for primary rectal cancer UICC stage I to III
Procedure: Transanal total mesorectal excision
Transanal approach in surgical treatment of rectal cancer along the anatomical and embryological planes, called total mesorectal excision, as described in 1988 by Heald et al.
abTME
Patients who underwent laparoscopic, robotic, or open total mesorectal excision with anastomosis for primary rectal cancer UICC stage I to III
Procedure: Abdominal total mesorectal excision
Patients who underwent laparoscopic, robotic, or open total mesorectal excision with anastomosis for primary rectal cancer UICC stage I to III

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Quality of life (QoL)
Time Frame: 5 years after initial operation

Assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer core questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30):

  • Overall QoL
  • QLQ-total
5 years after initial operation

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Functional outcomes
Time Frame: 5 years after initial operation

Assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer core questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30):

  • physical functioning
  • role functioning
  • cognitive functioning
  • emotional functioning
  • social functioning
  • fatigue
  • pain
  • nausea and vomiting
  • appetite loss
  • dyspnea
  • insomnia
  • constipation
  • diarrhea
  • financial difficulties
5 years after initial operation

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Director: Walter Brunner, PD Dr. med., Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 11, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 11, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 17, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 14, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 9, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • taTME QoL

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

The anonymized patient data that support the findings of this study are available and can be obtained upon reasonable request.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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